


Somewhere out there waiting (is a place where I'll know peace)

by amethyst-noir (Arbonne)



Series: Prompt Collection [4]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cloak of Levitation (Marvel), Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Getting Together, Hurt Stephen Strange, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, M/M, Tony Takes Care of Stephen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 13:12:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15973016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arbonne/pseuds/amethyst-noir
Summary: "And now tell me about Bruce and what he did to you. You're not afraid of the Hulk, so the nice scientist shouldn't be a problem, either." AKA Stephen just wants to rest and relax after a long and exhausting day. Preferably with Tony. Unfortunately Bruce Banner seems to be in the way of his plans.





	Somewhere out there waiting (is a place where I'll know peace)

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [【授翻】在彼处等待（我会了解宁静之所在）](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16716323) by [Clover_cherik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clover_cherik/pseuds/Clover_cherik)



> I asked for prompts and this was the first gem I received:  
>  _could I maybe prompt you? if yes, maybe you could write some ironstrange where Stephen is really jealous of someone and Tony is oblivious to it all? And Stephen feels really insecure? Thank you!_
> 
> I loved it and this is the result. The title was taken from VNV Nation's _If I Was_ on their Transnational album.

"Good evening, Doctor Strange."

Stephen smiled at the greeting and looked up to find the nearest camera. "Hello, FRIDAY. Where can I find him?" The day had been long and stressful and to be honest all he wanted to do right now was to portal home and go to sleep. But he had promised Tony to drop in and as much as he wanted to sleep he also wanted so spent some time with the guy.

"Downstairs, in the laboratory, with Bruce."

FRIDAY's words were like a cold shower, forcing his wandering mind back to the here and now so fast that it was almost painful. _Banner_ , he thought. _Wonderful. Even the AI calls him by his first name._ It wasn't that he didn't like Doctor Banner. He seemed like a nice guy. Dependable. Here when you needed him, ever since he got back from is outer space adventure. A good friend to Tony and the universe knew that Tony needed each and every one he could get. It was just that in the last few weeks, ever since Stephen thought - _hoped_ \- that the next big step in their relationship might just be around the corner, every time he turned up in the tower or on the compound Bruce Banner was there. Always secreted away in the lab, always working on something with Tony. A something Tony didn't discuss with Stephen, even when asked.

"Boss said you should just come down when you arrive."

Other people would kill for unregulated access to Tony Stark's lab; Stephen just felt hollow. "Well, then please tell Tony that I'm sorry but it was a long day and I just wanted to say hello. I don't want to disturb him. Them." Stephen closed his eyes and visualized the sanctum to create a portal. His hands moved on instinct but the first try failed when his left wrist seized up and ruined the gesture. Orange sparks of magic fell around him and faded away. "Damn it!" The pain took his concentration away and his mind was flooded with the images he had tried so hard to banish to the darkest corner of his subconscious.

He didn't want to think about the last time he had gone down to the lab, a few days ago, when Banner had been there. Him and Tony, standing just a little bit too close for good friends, Tony's arm around his shoulder while they were working on a holographic display, exchanging light banter and high-tech babble. The display had shut down the moment Stephen had entered the lab and both men had looked like little boys caught in the middle of some prank. They had been nice about it and Bruce had vanished not long after that. Tony and Stephen had spent the rest of the night talking, drinking a little bit and getting further along the road towards their first kiss. Or so Stephen had thought. The secret project had been nagging at him since then and Tony's refusal to talk about it had sown a seed that had grown and grown.

That incident had hurt Stephen deep down not only in his heart but also his soul. He'd hoped to be the person next to Tony, had even dared to dream of starting his theoretical work on neuroscience again, just a little bit, to keep in the loop, if and when his magical duties permitted it. He wanted to be the one Tony confided to, held on to, talked about the next wonder his lightning fast mind had conjured up from nothing.

He wanted everything. His magic, his old work back and Tony at his side. In his bed, his life.

 _Stupid, Strange. You still have not learned. It's not about you._ Tony always had far superior prospects than the broken shell of a man Stephen had become. Banner was a better fit, anyway. He had the not so little green problem, granted, but he was getting better and better at controlling the Hulk and the Hulk himself had gotten more sociable and less destructive, too. He was not bad looking, very intelligent, nice and not damaged goods, like Stephen himself. And he didn't have other duties that took him away for weeks at a time.

 _I'm too tired for this._ And his thoughts were going in a circle. Variations of the _Bruce Banner is a nice guy and perfect for Tony_ theme had been haunting him for a while now and right in this moment? It was pretty much all his exhausted brain could produce. Pathetic.

It took way more effort than it should have but at the second try the managed to form a stable portal. "Bye, FRIDAY," he called as he vanished through it, just as FRIDAY said, "Tony is coming up right now, Stephen."

*

He was just coming out of the bathroom, gripping his left wrist as hard as he could, when his phone rang. Tony, of course. For a moment Stephen toyed with the idea of just ignoring it but that would have been unfair. He had run away from their appointment - not a _date_ , he reminded himself - so he had to apologize. A little bit of magic lifted the phone into the air and in his waiting hand. A quick tap and the holographic display was disabled and the speaker activated. "Hello, Tony. I'm sorry about before." He tried to sound more awake and far less depressed than he was. He threw the phone down on the bed and searched his bedside table for the bandages.

"Hi Stephen." Tony sounded wonderful, as always. A little bit tired, maybe, but that only let his voice go deeper and Stephen shivered. His body was far too exhausted for any other reaction but he enjoyed the feeling nonetheless. "What are you doing? Why where you not coming down? I was waiting for you. FRIDAY said you look terrible, so what happened? Is this why we are on audio only? Are you okay?"

The last question was quiet, completely at odds with the lightspeed barrage of words that had preceded it. Stephen found himself answering before he even thought about it. "Just tired. It was a long day."

"Tell me, _please._ You sound like you're hurting, baby."

Stephen's breath caught and the silence from the other end was loud enough to drown out everything else. They'd never done nicknames before, they hadn't even _kissed_ , for heaven's sake, so how _dare_ he…

"Stephen?" Tony's voice got even deeper and softer. "I know this might not be the right time or place but I know that there's something bothering you and it has something to do with me and I'm sorry, whatever it is, I can change it, just tell me. _Please._ "

Stephen searched his mind and got… nothing. He didn't know how to react, what to do, what to say. "I sprained my wrist," he finally said and wanted to banish himself into the dark dimension a second later. Of all the stupid, nonsensical things to say…

"Which one?" Tony immediately snapped into the concerned _one of my friends is hurt and I have to help them_ mode Stephen loved so much about the man. He answered on autopilot.

"The left one. I'm bandaging it right now to keep it immobilized." He was doing no such thing. The bandage was lying before him, near the phone and he was sitting on his bed, holding his wrist like a child with tears of frustration in his eyes.

Another short pause. "Stephen, we need to talk. Can you create a portal for me? It's okay if not. I'll fly there. Just tell your mausoleum to let me in."

He didn't want to see Tony. He wanted to see Tony more than anything. He didn't do or say anything, just stared at the wall and the Cloak which had been watching him like a hawk since the moment he had stepped out of the shower. It radiated displeasure.

"Stephen. I'm coming over, one way or the other. If you don't let me in I'm sure your Cloak will do it. Just give in gracefully before you're betrayed by your outfit. _Please._ " He'd never heard Tony use please that often before. It was unsettling. The Cloak was nodding its agreement to Tony's words and Stephen knew he was outmatched. He gave in with a sigh.

"I can portal you over. Just give me a moment." He disconnected the call and looked down on himself. He was in his bathrobe, which was unacceptable. A spell later and he was wearing comfortable sweats and a long-sleeved shirt. Better. The creation of a portal was a little bit trickier but he managed it with gritted teeth and a curse.

He was still fighting the pain when his wrist was suddenly cradled in warm, strong hands. He looked up to see Tony kneeling before him. The portal was fizzing out behind him and the Cloak engulfed their visitor in a hug of greeting. Tony smiled at it. "You'll get petted, later. Promise. First I have to take care of you master." The Cloak signaled its assent and floated away. "Now on to you, Stephen. Just tell me: What the hell is going on with you?" His voice was far gentler than the words themselves. The calming tone wrapped itself around Stephen's frayed nerves and soothed them almost as much as Tony's touch did.

He didn't answer but he grabbed the roll of bandages and offered it to the man before him. Tony took it and, after a gentle caress of his wrist, began to wrap it up. His motions where quick and sure, betraying his familiarity with the task. It was tight enough to prevent movement but not tight enough to block circulation.

"Thank you."

"The left one is the bad one, isn't it?" Tony was still holding his wrist, smoothing over the fabric with slow strokes.

"Yes." Stephen swallowed. "The right one wasn't quite as shattered in the accident, did require less surgery and did heal better. It gives me trouble on bad days but it's not nearly as sensitive as this one." He held up his left wrist and Tony's hands fell down on his thighs. He looked so sad and miserable that Stephen scrambled for an explanation. "It's a miracle that any doctor agreed to do my surgeries, considering the extent of the damage and my overall health at the time. This is the best possible outcome after injuries like mine."

Tony smiled sadly at that. "Is that the optimist or the pessimist speaking?" He grabbed Stephen's right hand, pushed the shirtsleeves up and traced over the scars on his wrist and fingers, leaving goosebumps in his wake. The shaking, bad to begin with, became worse.

"The realist," Stephen finally answered after an eternity.

Tony looked up and stopped his gentle stroking. Instead he gripped Stephen's right wrist just this side of painful. "And why has this realist been running away from me - from _us_ \- for the last few days? I thought we were on the same page, that it was finally time." Suddenly Tony let go and got up to pace the room. Cool air on overheated skin brought Stephen's wandering mind back to his tired and bruised body. "I know that I've been stringing you along for a while now," Tony was saying right then and Stephen didn't know when he had taken a turn into an alternative universe. He had no idea what Tony was talking about. "I know that it took me awhile after… after…"

 _No!_ Stephen realized too late where this was going but he had no way of stopping it now. Instinctively he tried to rise his hands, as if to ward of something, but a warning twinge in his wrist forced him to keep his hands down in his lap.

"Pepper." There were tears in Tony's eyes and voice now and Stephen wanted nothing more but to get up, bundle him up in an embrace and just hold on. Instead he sat there, paralyzed, wondering when it had all gone so horribly wrong. "I know you were waiting, that you were giving me time after the final break up and I thought, I thought that the time was finally here. Our time."

Stephen could no longer stand it. He got up, just as the Cloak flew at Tony and pushed him into Stephen's waiting arms. It was pure reflex to close his arms around Tony and just hold on.

The both moved in at the same time - Tony stretching a little bit and Stephen bending down for their first kiss. It was surprisingly chaste, a promise of things to come. Stephen was too tired and bruised, something which Tony seemed to sense and respect. It was like they had kissed a million times before, comforting and wonderful.

It came to an end by mutual, unspoken decision. Tony buried his head between Stephens neck and shoulder. "It's here," Stephen promised. "I'm here. Whenever you want me to." With his right hand he began to stroke Tony's back. Up and down, up and down. It was a soothing rhythm and he wanted to lose himself in it.

Tony squeezed him tighter, wordlessly letting Stephen know that he would never let him go again. "The why where you running away?" he asked again. Since Stephen knew he couldn't escape the question forever he decided to get it over with.

"Banner. Bruce," he corrected himself after a moment.

"What?" Tony freed himself to look at him incredulously. "Bruce? What about him?"

Heaven help him, Tony had no idea what Stephen was talking about. This level of cluelessness couldn't be anything but real and Stephen was forced to rethink his reaction.

He did.

He still came to the same conclusion.

By now the Cloak was gently but firmly guiding them both towards the bed to sit down. Stephen sank down gratefully, Tony eyed him for a moment but another push from the Cloak forced him to sit down besides Stephen who had instinctively curled up on his side. Tony stretched out before him and after a moment of hesitation pulled him in. Stephen sighed gratefully and followed the gentle lead to lay his head on Tony's right shoulder. He rolled onto his side to really snuggle up to him. His left arm was between them and after a moment he settled it on Tony's leg. The position wasn't quite comfortable but it was the best he could do right now. It was enough. It was perfect. Tony smelled amazing, as if he was freshly showered. Something turned over in his mind and Stephen closed his eyes as he realized. _I'm an idiot._ "You wanted to make your move on me tonight, didn't you?" _And I ran away._

"Hmm." No denial, no confirmation. But Stephen didn't need to turn back time to know he was right. "Cuddling just after the first kiss." Tony chuckled as the got an arm around Stephen's waist and held him tightly. "I don't do cuddles. At least not clothed ones." He pressed a kiss to Stephens forehead. "You've always been an exception, Stephen Strange. And now tell me about Bruce and what he did to you. You're not afraid of the Hulk, so the nice scientist shouldn't be a problem, either."

The nice scientist. The problem adequately packaged in three words for easy consumption. "You've not been flirting with the Hulk." Oh, that came out way more petulant than expected. For a moment he resisted his impulse but then he hid his face in Tony's shoulder. "Ignore me, I'm an idiot." 

Tony laughed and stroked his neck. "But you're _my_ idiot and now I'm curious why you thought that. Me and Bruce? Never! I like the guy, sure, he's a good friend. One of the best. But that's all. You're the one I…" He didn't finish and he didn't have to. It was too soon, they would get there in time. Which they apparently had, if the universe gave them some peace after all the horrors they'd had to endure. "What the hell made you think that I was flirting with Bruce?" The laughter had gone, replaced with gentle amusement. His hold on Stephen tightened. "I thought I made it absolutely clear that you're the one for me, even though it took me a while to admit it."

Stephen didn't want to talk anymore. He wanted to drift off to sleep in the arms of the man he loved more than anything. He wanted to wake up in the morning in the same position, followed by a peaceful day where they could explore each other's bodies and preferences. He wanted his wrist to stop hurting. He wanted to be kissed until he couldn't breathe, he wanted to be taken by Tony and take him in return, he wanted everything he had fantasized about in months since Tony had brought him back to life. He wanted so much more. He wanted to be the man Tony apparently saw in him, not the insecure, hurting mess he truly was.

But before all that they still had to get one last problem out of the way. "In the lab," he began and stopped immediately. He didn't have a clue how to explain himself. "I'm an overreacting, jealous idiot," he finally said, defeated. "Forget it."

"No." Tony gripped his chin and gently forced his head upwards till their eyes met. "It's about that day in the lab, isn't it? When you came an hour earlier as expected and surprised us in the middle of our super-secret project. The one you've been dying to learn about since then. And the moment you came in Bruce and I were very, very close. And you thought…?" Gentle laughter, once again. "Am I right or am I right?" 

Stephen gave up. The downside of kind-of-dating a genius, who was also very empathic, was shit like this. You couldn't really hide from Tony Stark; the guy was way too perceptive. He hid it, most of the time, but he didn't bother with the people closest to him. He worked stuff out, he tried to help. Sometimes he didn't quite succeed, be he did try again and again. Stephen was destined to be a life-long project. He simply nodded. 

"Stephen, you're an idiot." But Tony was still smiling fondly at him, so it wasn't too bad. "But you're _my_ idiot. We are working on something for _you_ , to stabilize your hands and help with the pain. Since you have a standing invitation FRIDAY didn't warn me of your arrival. When the door opened we just tried to hide the screen until she could deactivate it, since I wanted it to be a surprise." Tony let go of his head and let him cuddle up again. "Go to sleep. We'll talk about it in the morning and you can check everything over and give us your input. It was stupid to keep it a secret, I know. We just wanted to make sure it was a viable approach before I told you about it. Rest, now." He pressed another soft kiss into Stephens hair.

For him? Help him with the living hell his hands put him through every day? Tony and Bruce? What? It was too much information; Stephen's exhausted brain couldn't handle it. He just wanted to collapse and think of nothing. Tony knew, of course.

" _Sleep_ , baby. Let go, I've got you."

Baby, once again. He had hated pet-names in the past but he could get used to them. Especially the soft tone Tony adopted when he called him that. The thought, along with Tony's gentle reassurances and tender caresses followed him down to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](https://amethyst-noir.tumblr.com/post/177173283701/could-i-maybe-prompt-you-if-yes-maybe-you-could/).


End file.
